What Are The ADHD Symptoms In Adults? 4 Signs To Look For

The issue of ADD/ADHD and children is a widely mentioned and well covered topic. The same cannot be said of ADHD symptoms in adults. So how does this condition affects adults, and why is it so often misunderstood.

Can an adult suddenly get ADHD?

Although there are still many things we do not fully understand about ADHD, one thing medical experts do state is that you cannot ‘get’ ADHD in adulthood. Symptoms must have been present since childhood for an adult to be diagnosed with this disorder.

This is helpful to know for adults where ADHD was officially recognized during their childhood. But that leaves a lot of adults who are very likely to be slipping through the net, and feel it is ‘too late’, or may be too embarrassed to seek professional help.

Symptoms of ADHD in adults

One issue when trying to understand these signs in adults is that doctors base them on the conventional symptoms shown in children. Many experts believe that symptoms in an adult can show themselves in a very different light and be far more subtle.

Here are just four of the many possible ADHD signs adults may show:-

1. Distractible in the extreme

First and foremost ADHD is a problem relating to attention. An adult sufferer can find it extremely hard to prosper in terms of employment.

This electronic world of ours is a busy one, and simple things such as a noisy environment, a regular phone call, or an e-mail received, fully consumes them. It diverts their attention away from the task in hand. This means that task could well be completely forgotten and never completed.

2. Lateness

This is one of the most frustrating ADHD symptoms in adults. It can annoy those you are meeting from a social point of view, but from an employment point of view it can lead to major problems, warnings and potentially even dismissal.

The problem is that ADHD sufferers are very easily distracted. If they are on their way to work and suddenly realize the car needs washing, they will turn their attention to this immediate task, and forget about where they should be and at what time.

3. Organisational problems

The additional responsibilities of adulthood such as employment, bills, and families can bring to the fore an adults severe lack of organizing skills.

4. Angry outburst

Sufferers often have problems controlling their emotions; they can be quick to explode over even very small matters. In many of these instances their anger will fade just as quickly as it flared, and for them it is over, whereas those in the firing line cannot forget so quickly.

Some signs in adults can indicate different psychiatric problems

If you think you are seeing ADHD symptoms in an adult you know well, and feel you can relate to, it is very important that you try and persuade them to visit a trained and experienced mental health professional for an examination. Particularly if you know they have not experienced any signs of ADHD as a child – as there is the possibility they may be suffering an entirely different psychiatric problem.

Help really is required

We have barely scraped the surface on this complex problem, and there are many other potential ADHD symptoms in adults. If you feel you can safely assist someone who may have such problems – Please Do!